(The Spread) – On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles assigned the franchise tag on quarterback Michael Vick, meaning he’ll make roughly $20 million in 2011. Does that mean the team is open to trading backup Kevin Kolb now?
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Well no, not exactly. Kolb is still under contract for the 2011 season (assuming there even is one) and head coach Andy Reid will be reluctant to leave himself vulnerable at the most important position on the field. If the Eagles are unable to sign Vick to a long-term contract or if he were to get hurt, Reid wants Kolb around as insurance.
But Kolb is only under contract for another year. He becomes a free agent in 2012, which means if the Eagles want to get anything in return for him via trade, they’re going to have to deal him before the trade deadline this year. Of course, they could wait to see how Vick performs in 2011 and then franchise either him or Kolb again next year, but at some point they’ll have to commit to one of them.
Right now, they’re committing to Vick – and for good reason. He threw for 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns last year while compiling a QB rating of 100.2. He made the Pro Bowl and helped the Eagles win the NFC East. It was long believed that the team would franchise him so he wouldn’t wind up someplace else.
Now Kolb must wait to see what his future will be. If the Eagles can sign Vick to a long-term contract and find a suitable backup either via free agency or the draft, then they may be more apt to trade Kolb. But until then, he remains an Eagle.
According to oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com, the Eagles are 16/1 to win the 2012 Super Bowl and 8/1 to win the NFC Conference Championship.
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